Combined counting and stamping mechanism.



A. M. AUGENSEN.

COMBINED COUNTING AND STAMPING MECHANISM.

APPLIGATION FILED JUNE 20, 1912.

Patented Mar. 2, 191:; 5.

AUGUST M. AUGENSEN', 0F NIAY WOOD, ILLINOIS, ASSIGNOR TO SANITARY CAN COMPANY, OF NEW YORK, N. Y., CORPORATION OF NEW YORK.

COMBINED COUNTING AND STAMPING MECHANISM.

maa oee.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Mar. 2, 1915.

Application filed June 20, 1912. Serial No. 704,904.

To aZZ whom it may concern Be it known that I, AUGUST M. AUenNsnN,

a citizen of the United States, residing in Maywood, in the county of Cook and State of Illinois, have invented a new and useful Improvement in Combined Counting and Stamping Mechanism, of which the following is a specification,

This invention relates to improvements in combined counting and stamping mechanism, and relates more particularly to that type of mechanism adapted for use in connection with the manufacture of can bodies.

The object of the invention is to provide a mechanism which will automatically stamp or print a date or number or other desired data on each article that passes by the stamping mechanism, and having the stamping mechanism operated by .the can bodies or other articles themselves through the instrumentality of a counting device, such as are commonly employed in all can and canning factories to count and register the number of cans made or used.

My invention furthermore consists in the improvements in the parts and devices, and in the novel combinations of parts and devices herein shown, described or claimed.

It has hitherto been customary to stamp the ends of cans at the canning factories before shipping them to the retailers, with the date of filling or with the name of the canner, or both, for the purpose of identification should the retailers return the filled cans and demand reimbursement for any reason at any time, but the data being stamped on the ends of the can where there is no label, is generally exposed and oftentimes isrubbedofiin handling, and even though the data is not rubbed off accidentally, unscrupulous retailers can easily w remove the same,'with the result that when posed upon.

a shipment of cans is returned to the canner for reimbursement, the canner is not always able to determine whether or not the goods have been held by the retailer for too long a period, or even'who filled-the-cans, and this often means that some canners are im- The canners, in turn, often look to the can manufacturer for reimbursement, and the latter is often unable to tell whether or not he has been imposed upon, where the data have been removed. With my improvements, however, the data are stamped on the side of the can over which is invariably placed a wrapper or label, and the printed matter is thus concealed and protected from accidental or intentional erasure, and hence when a shipment of cans s returned to the canner or manufacturer, it is a comparatively easy matter to remove the'label from the cans to determine when the same were stamped and by whom and thus protect the canner or manufacturer.

In the drawing forming a part of this specification, Figure 1 is a side elevation of a can body chute showing my improvements in connection therewith, one of the plates of the casing for the printing mechanism being removed to more clearly show the parts. Fig. '2 is a vertical section, taken on the line 22 of Fig. 1, and Fig. 3 is a section taken on the line 33 of Fig. 1.

In the drawing, A denotes a chute, which may be of any suitable construction, up which the can bodies or other articles are adapted to be rolled as by means of a belt 24, and projecting into the guideway A are the arms 10, 10 of a star wheel mounted on a shaft 11, the latter being connected by any suitable means to counting or registering numeral wheels in the counter B, which may be of any well known construction, and the details of which form no part of this invention. Keyed to the shaft 11 is a gear 12, meshing with a gear 13 mounted on a shaft 14, the latter being mounted in suitable bearings in a casing 15, in which is located the stamping-mechanism, the latter comprising a type carrying roller 16 secured to the shaft 14, and having mounted therein a plurality of sets of type 17, 17, and so arranged that the type will be projected slightly into the can chute A and engage the sides of the can bodies C, C as the latter are fed up the chute. Ink is supplied to the type on the roller 16 from a supply well 18 through a feed tube 19 onto. the inking roller 20 and from the latter to the type by means of a transferring roller 21, the latter being preferably mounted on a yieldingly controlled pivoted arm 22 secured to the casing 15.

In operation. the can bodies engage the arms 10, 10 of the star wheel and rotate the latter and, as will be obvious, thus register the number of cans passing the counting mechanism and the star wheel through means of the gears 12 and 13 will in turn rotate the" type; carrying roller so'that the tvpewill'be presented at the proper time to stamp the sides of the can bodies as they pass up the chute. The counting and stamping devices, as shown, bracket 23 adapted to be attached to the chute A or any stationary support as desired.

Various changes and modifications may be made in the details of the structure which I have described without departing from the spirit of the invention, and all such changes and modifications are contemplated as tall within the scope of the claims appended hereto.

I claim 4 1. A combined can counting and stamping mechanism including, in combination: a chute along which the cans are adapted to be fed; counting mechanism adjacent said chute and having an element thereof projecting into the chute and operated by the cans as the same pass thereby; means for stamping the cans as the same pass along the chute, said stamping means having a type-carrying member projecting into the chute at the side of the cans and toward the opposite side of the chute, which stam ing means is opposed by the opposite side 0 the chute; and gearing between said counting mechanism and the stamping means for operating the latter from the former, substantially as specified.

2. In adevice of the class described, in combination, a can-body chute, mechanism including an element extending into the chute and actuated by the can bodies for counting the same, and stamping means having its operative surface within the side of the chute and arranged opposite to the sides of the cans and to an opposing side of the chute, and operatively connected with v the said can-actuated element to be preare mounted on a' vsented to the side of each passing can body;

substantially as specified.

3. In a device of the class described, in combination, a can body chute, mechanism for counting the can bodies as the same pass through the chute, said mechanism including a star wheel operated by the can bodies and means for stamping the sides of the can bodies as they pass through the chute, said means including a type carrying roller having type on the circumference thereof, and gearing from said star wheel to A in a direction transverse to their axes, and

operating means connected with the counting mechanism whereby the stamping means is successively presented to the sides of the several can bodies; substantially as specified. 5. The combination of a can printing mechanism and a can counting mechanism inter-geared and cooperating with one another; a substantially upright can chute having a side opening by which the sides of the cans are caused to pass and through which the printing mechanism operates on the sides of the cans; and a movable element extended into the said chute, operated by the'successive can bodies and connected with said mechanisms to actuate them; substantially as specified.

AUGUST M. AUGENSEN.

Witnesses:

PEARL Annexes, H. M. MUNDY. 

